If you're an Entrepreneur who wants to impart their knowledge in an online course format, then you need to know what the anatomy of the best online training courses looks like to make sure your online product is up to standard.

For example perhaps you retail beauty products in an ecommerce store and now want to sell "How To..." makeup tutorials online.  Or maybe you sell dog treats, and now want to sell puppy training videos as an online course for new dog owners... the world is your oyster in terms of options and ideas. 

Whilst I see with my clients that it's a growing trend as part of their long term business strategy to add on online course or knowledge product as a fresh revenue stream, it can be tricky to get right. 

So let's take a closer look at what is required.

The context - how will your customer use this course?

There are a lot of online courses on the internet. They all promise you the earth, but not all of them deliver.

So first of all, we want to look at the context. Specifically, how is your target audience going to use the skills you get from this course. What will be the practical application?

There's no point anyone wasting time and money on creating a course  product that your customers have no efficient use for, and you should think twice about investing your precious time designing something which simply won't sell. 

De-risk this all on paper first through research. Look at the wider context, consider how your course will solve your customers problem or help them learn.  Then check how you can pair this new product with your current range of products and services. 

Are there examples or case studies?

Something else that you're going to want to make sure that you plan for is whether there are any case studies or examples you can use within any training course you create.

Success stories, hypothetical scenarios, real-life examples of where the training has been used - these all help to give credibility to what you do and help you to reassure people that signing up for the course was the right choice.

Are there worksheets or activities?

An excellent training course is an adaptable one. It offers your customers video, written material and diagrams to help you succeed.

Worksheets and activities can be a good way for people to consolidate their knowledge that has been gained on the course. Plus customers love a good download and keep PDF. 

You want to make sure that the activities you set are of varying difficulty and that there's a sense of accomplishment for having taken the time to complete them. Otherwise, your customers won't be able to feel like they've got value and advanced on the business or marketing course.

Engaging video content

Not everyone learns in the same way that you do. You have to understand that for every type of person who excels with written material, you get people who do not.

There's a lot of evidence that the video format is one of the best options possible for someone who wants to learn online in a bitesize and manageable way.

There are numerous benefits to learning marketing business in this fashion, and they help you to make sure that you're getting the most out of what you do and catering to a specific learning style. If you don't have video content, you should make it a priority.

The Transformation

I saved this one until last but to be honest it's the big one - you have to deliver some kind of transformation or success result for your customer who takes your online course.  They have to get the outcome they were hoping for when they purchased your online course. 

For example, if your online course is a Weight Loss course to compliment the sale of your weight loss products - the transformation or success result is that your customer will have lost weight by the end of your course.  If they take the action steps you share, they will get the result.

To achieve this, you need to plan and understand the journey your customer will go through as they experience your online course. Ask:

• where might they get stuck? 
• what support will you offer them along the way? 
• how can you guarantee that they will get some level of result if they put the effort in and complete the course?
• how will you help them stay motivated enough to complete the course?

Before you create and launch your own online course make sure you can clearly define and deliver this critical point - there must be a transformation for your customer at the end of the course. 

Make It Happen In Your Business

Creating an online course product can be a great addition to your core product / service portfolio if you are an online Entrepreneur but don't let it distract you from building your core product business.

The best online training courses are those which impart practical skills and emphasise consolidation of learning. What you have to think about is how your customers can get the most from your experiences and sharing that knowledge in a format that is easy to digest and practical to apply. 

Next Steps:

• Consider what knowledge or experiences you have.  Can that be turned into an online course? 
• Ask what transformation could I create in my customers life? How can I help them learn something that I know how to do?
• Decide on the experience you want to offer your customer - is it a one off online course, or an online course plus a physical product bundle or even an online membership subscription to support your core product range.  There are so many different combinations to support and serve your customers. 
• Begin researching the online course creation platforms that can help you easily deliver your course to your customers and integrate seamlessly with your existing ecommerce platform.